It’s always easier to tear something down and build new. There are always investors looking to build the next subdivision, or a chain store, or simply a parking lot. Built in 1936, the former Edgemont Freewill Baptist Church (now Church of the Apostolic Revival) has seen better days, narrowly escaping demolishment in 2016 after being condemned by the city. Having grown up in the church as a young boy, Charles Gibbs, takes us down memory lane of irreplaceable parts of Durham’s history, and reminds us that some things survive in spite of themselves.

Preservation Durham is proud to announce that the Preservation Equity Project has been selected as one of five Finalists for the 2017 What Matters Innovation Award from the Triangle Community Foundation, sponsored by American Underground. The $25,000 grant would kick the PEP project into high gear and enable us to begin offering technical assistance coupled with low-interest loans to needy property owners.

The final step in the Innovation Award competition is for the five finalists to prepare pitches to be delivered before a live audience on March 30 at Innovation Award Pitch Day. This is an exciting opportunity, and Preservation Durham is honored to be selected as a finalist.

About Us

Hello, we are Preservation Durham

Preservation Durham is made up of folks who believe that place is important and that our past helps to shape our future. We want Durham to embrace growth and change but also to protect its sense of place – its unique identity in the Triangle – and to remain open and available to all in our community. Everyone’s story has a place.